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Music News

ROCK QUICK HITS 7/28/13
7/28/2013

Blabbermouth reports on July 19, the members of METALLICA appeared at Comic-Con in San Diego, California to discuss "Metallica Through The Never", filmmaker Nimród Antal's captivating 3D movie featuring one of music's most enduring and iconic bands. The group was in Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center, joined by Antal; the star of the film, Dane DeHaan; and producer Charlotte Huggins. While at Comic-Con, HitFix spoke with Antal and Huggins about why they chose to present a new trailer for "Metallica Through The Never" at this particular event; the METALLICA songs that are included in the movie; how "Through The Never" is different from METALLICA's 2004 documentary "Some Kind Of Monster"; how the filmmakers are inspired by the band; how seriously the METALLICA bandmembers take themselves; and their favorite songs from the "greatest soundtrack known to man." Check out the chat below. On what role the lyrics of METALLICA's songs played in forming the narrative for the "Through The Never" movie: Antal: "Tonally and within the film structure — with the atmosphere of the film — there were certainly certain songs that played well into our hands. We stayed relatively faithful to the band's setlist and tried to form a narrative we could weave into the concert. The band's persona, their energy, and certainly the love that they have for what they do, those are the things that made their way into the film and ultimately make the film what it is. I'm very proud of it." On how "Through The Never" is different from "Some Kind Of Monster": Antal: "This is a very different monster from that film. Though they are in the film, they are musicians in the film. That's what they do well and that's what we showcase. The narrative portion, though, they do appear in the narrative in a very interesting little way, [but] it's not necessarily their role in the film that makes it what it is." Huggins: "In 'Through The Never', they are never off stage, if you will. They appear off stage, but they still appear as the musicians in the band METALLICA. It's not a documentary, it's not a behind-the-scenes-movie at all. We see them, as Nim said, perform, and through their performance, they bring a story that parallels th narrative story in the movie." On what strikes them as the most impressive elemement of METALLICA, the band, after working with them on the movie: Huggins: "I came into the project as a producer, as a film producer, and that's what they brought me in [to do]. And when I first met them, I was instantly impressed with their level of respect, in general, for each other and for what we were about to embark on. And I became a fan, and I'm not probably as big a fan as their true followers. I've come to really love and respect their music. I think what happens is with each viewing of the movie, I watch and listen to the music and I've become incredibly impressed with their musical ability; I mean, they're phenomenal musicians and the songs are incredibly interesting songs. So each time that I hear these songs, I've become more and more familiar and I can listen to the different parts of the song." Antal: "I think that they bring an energy and a passion to what they do that's, for me, it was definitely inspirational. They have a drive and a professionalism that's so… They're artists first and foremost, and any artist who does what they do with love, you can see it. And that, for me, was always, I think, what drew them to me initially. But I was re-reminded of that, working with them and seeing how powerful they are as performers. It's pretty incredible. Someone who's been doing what they've done for 30 years and still bringing an energy and a passion that is… I think there's a lot of young guys out there that could be envious." Huggins: "I think another thing that we've learned is that they inspire us to achieve at the highest level that we are able. Because they bring everything to what they do, they really have inspired us and our team — amazing team of cinematographers and visual-effects artists and whatever — everyone wants to rise to the occasion to create something great, because they put so much of themselves into what they do." "Metallica Through The Never"will be digitally remastered into the immersive IMAX 3D format and released wide in North America exclusively into IMAX theatres for a one-week engagement starting Friday, September 27. The film will expand into additional theatres on October 4.

Blabbermouth reports drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB) has tweeted a photo of a gift that he received from a fan during THE WINERY DOGS' current South American tour. He wrote: "Got this from a fan...kinda cool, but also kinda creepy!! Maybe it's a Blabbermouth voodoo doll?? : ) " THE WINERY DOGS is the power trio featuring Portnoy, legendary bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, TALAS, DAVID LEE ROTH) and guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen (MR. BIG, POISON). THE WINERY DOGS' self-titled debut album was released in North America on July 23 via Loud & Proud Records and in Japan on May 15 via Victor Entertainment. The CD was mixed by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, ADRENALINE MOB, STONE SOUR and STEEL PANTHER. Portnoy announced his departure from ADRENALINE MOB last month due to "scheduling conflicts." A replacement drummer has not yet been announced. Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 27 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mike Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE, STEVE VAI). Portnoy played on AVENGED SEVENFOLD's latest album, "Nightmare", following the death of that band's drummer, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, and toured with them for the entire second half of 2010.

Blabbermouth reports former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach is currently in the studio working on his next album with producer Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, ALICE COOPER), who helmed the singer's last solo CD, 2011's "Kicking & Screaming". Comments Bach: "Well, I am happy to say we have spent the last two days in studio and we know exactly what to do with this new record. It is going to be balls-out, kick-ass rock 'n' roll with tons of vocal histrionics and harmonies especially. That is what I am hearing so far on this record. "I am going to really concentrate on harmonies and pushing my voice to the maximum you have ever heard it pushed. The riffs are crazy and cool and we have 13 or so songs so we are right on track and we know exactly what to do to kick your ass into 2014! "We are into it! And get ready for new Bach rock coming your way soon! Thanks to Devin Bronson and Bob Marlette who are really making it happen!" Bach's next solo CD, which is tentatively due in early 2014 via Frontiers Records, is expected to feature contributions from Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) and Los Angeles-based guitarist Jeff George, who previously played with ASKING ALEXANDRIA's lead vocalist Danny Worsnop. Making a guest appearance on the album will also be bassist Duff McKagan (DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED, VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES). Bach's brand new CD/DVD package, "ABachalypse Now", was released in North America on March 26 via Frontiers Records. The "ABachalypse Now" Ultimate CD/DVD Edition includes never-before-seen footage from last year's Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Dessel, Belgium, the full never-before-seen Hellfest set from France and the fully-remixed and remastered Nokia show from Los Angeles (originally broadcast on AXS TV), as well as bonus music videos. The DVD contains a running time of nearly 160 minutes. "ABachalypse Now" was made available in two configurations: the Ultimate CD/DVD Edition (2 CDs + DVD) and a standalone DVD.

Blabbermouth reports former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno's previously announced U.S. tour, which was originally scheduled to kick off in January, was then postponed until May/June, and then pushed back to the end of the year, has now officially been canceled due to issues with the tour's promoter. Di'Anno states: "My apologies to the American fans who have been let down and to the various promoters who got so badly burnt in this way." Di'Anno completed his first North American tour in early 2010, 17 years after he was deported following a prison term for guns and drug offenses. On August 27, 2011, Di'Anno played his first show since serving time in a U.K. prison after he falsely collected U.K. government benefits by claiming he suffered nerve damage to his back that prevented him from working. Due to a number of health issues, including a knee problem which will require surgery soon, Di'Anno announced in July 2012 that he would stop touring in 2013. Michael Salenius, Di'Anno's Swedish booking manager and tour manager, told BLABBERMOUTH.NET that 2013 would be "a big, fantastic" last touring year for Paul, with a lot of solo shows, festival appearances and Di'Anno vs. Blaze Bayley concerts. You will also see various guest musicians joining Paul on stage." Fan-filmed video footage of Paul Di'Anno's July 10 performance at Lilla Torg in Malmö, Sweden can be seen below. Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN before being fired and replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

Blabbermouth reports In a recent interview with Ghost Cult Magazine, former AFTER FOREVER frontwoman and current REVAMP vocalist Floor Jansen — who has been performing with Finnish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH since last October as the band's touring singer — was asked if she would be willing to front NIGHTWISH permanently if she were asked to fill the slot. "I've been asked to fill in for the current world tour and for a couple of festival dates, but what will happen after that is still unclear," she replied. "NIGHTWISH will take a break after the current touring cycle and they'll make a decision next year. Until then, everything is still up in the air." She continued: "If they would ask me, I would be very flattered and I would love to do it. It will be a major overhaul in my life and my career as a singer, but then again, we're not rushing things. "Both the guys in NIGHTWISH and I have experiences with previous band breakups and all emotions that come with it. It's almost like dating. Things feel good and it's going well, but we're not in a rush to tie the knot, so to speak." Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon. NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen has known Jansen for more than 10 years already, having previously toured with her former band, AFTER FOREVER. Asked about the reasons for Olzon's sudden exit from the group, Tuomas told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine: "I'm sure it came as a shock to everybody. We came out with a statement [regarding the split], which pretty much says it all. It still is a private matter, and that's all we wanna say about it, like, ever. It was an amicable divorce, so to say, and made in good spirit, and we are just looking to the future. There really is no reason to go back into all the details and all that. I mean, this is not politics, this is a rock band." Regarding whether there is a chance that Floor will become the official new NIGHTWISH lead singer, Tuomas said: "The way that we have decided is that we're gonna continue with her until the end of the festival season in 2013 — just have fun, just do the shows the best we can. I mean, the atmosphere in the band is so good at the moment, [we want to] just enjoy this what we have right now. They try not to think about NIGHTWISHat all for a few months. Everybody take a little vacation. And we already have the rehearsal place for the next album booked in 2014 — from July to September. So that's how far we have planned. But when we do the last festival show next August, after that, it's gonna be total nothing for a few months. So I would say everything is possible, but that's really not the thing that we want to be thinking about right now, because there's absolutely no reason to."

Blabbermouth reports in celebration of the 25th anniversary of MANOWAR's "Kings Of Metal" album, which the band calls "a milestone in metal history," the group is currently in the studio recording a brand new special version of the LP: "Kings Of Metal 2014". The new rendition will "honor the original as its inspiration, but with additional energy, fully utilizing the power of today's technology and 25 years of experience," says MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio. "It will contain new arrangements and changes that incorporate live pweformance elements added over the years. The album will feature additional bonus material and many other surprises." The new recording is only one component of the "Kings Of Metal 2014" anniversary celebration. For this special occasion, MANOWAR will also open their vaults and reveal never-before-seen video footage, photos, behind-the-scene interviews and insight into the history of MANOWAR and the "Kings Of Metal" era. For the new narration on "The Warrior's Prayer", the band will be joined by celebrated British actor Brian Blessed ("Henry V", "Macbeth"). Blessed is a renowned Shakespeare and character actor who has starred, among others, in Kenneth Brannagh's "Henry V" and "Much Ado About Nothing", in "King Lear" and Oliver Stone's "Alexander". Brian also has an affinity with heavy metal music. In June, he received the "Spirit Of Hammer" award at Metal Hammer U.K.'s Golden Gods Awards. The new recordings will also feature guitarist Karl Logan's and drummer Donnie Hamzik's contributions, who, after having played these classic hymns many times live, will now have the opportunity to add to their legacy by including their own signature sound and performance. The release of "Kings Of Metal 2014" is scheduled for the end of this year. 2014 will then see MANOWAR's anniversary tour, performing the full "Kings Of Metal 2014" album along with their other metal hymns in a completely new stage production. "Kings Of Metal" was first released on November 18, 1988. Already a significant force with international success since their debut album "Battle Hymns", this release and the following 1989 "Kings Of Metal" world tour catapulted MANOWAR to a new sphere. Songs like "Heart Of Steel", "Kings Of Metal", "Hail And Kill" and "Blood Of The Kings" became instant anthems and remain among the most demanded songs in concerts, celebrated not only by MANOWAR fans.

Blabbermouth reports German melodic metallers ARVEN will release their second album, "Black Is The Colour", on August 23 via Massacre Records. The band spent the past few weeks recording choirs, orchestrations, guest vocals and violins. After the recordings were completed, Markus Teske mastered and mixed the album at the Bazement Studio. "Black Is The Colour" will be available as jewel case CD, digital download as well as limited-edition digipak with exclusive bonus tracks (cover versions of Irish folk songs). Jan "Örkki" Yrlund (Darkgrove Design) was responsible for the cover artwork. VAN CANTO's Stefan Schmidt is performing as a guest vocalist and sings a duet with Carina Hanselmann on the song "The One For Me". Stefan is also part of the choir you can hear on the album.

Blabbermouth reports BENEDICTUM singer Veronica Freeman and CHASTAIN frontwoman Leather Leone were interviewed on the latest edition of "The Classic Metal Show", which is heard live on Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. EST at TheClassicMetalShow.com. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below. Veronica (pictured below) is currently recording a solo album which will be released under the moniker THE V. She states, "I had a lot of input and encouragement from Frontiers in the previous months to try and stretch myself with different musical styles and approaches. So I have decided to accept their proposal for a solo album." Musically, Veronica is pursuing a much more melodic and hook-friendly direction. John Herrera is producing this endeavor and there should be some special guests appearing in the writing and performing department, including Leone, a song from Jerry Dixon from WARRANT and some bass performances from Brad Lang from Y&T and Jeff Pilson. BENEDICTUM guitarist Pete Wells will also show his other side with some of the music he is contributing to this project. Speaking to Examiner.com, Freeman stated about how the idea for her solo album came about: "The story happened is that the owners of Frontiers, the president and vice-president, happened to be in Los Angeles this year when I had the broken-foot thing. I live in Phoenix now, but I didn't want to miss a chance to meet them. So I went up there and we had lunch together. They told me they really believe in my talent, all that stuff. I was flattered and it was great to hear. But being so ingrained in metal, it was really kind of frightening to not do metal. The proposition was to do a solo based on the concept of you, meaning what we had done, but it will be a lot more melodic hard rock, a lot more hook-oriented. So [laughs], I was like, 'Wow! That's really cool!' It kind of morphed from 'We'll give you the songs' to 'You can write them, but we have to kind of approve them first.' That allowed me to still write with Pete, so it's still a Wells-Freeman type of thing, but he has so much other music too. So it worked out well, actually. And as long as it wasn't going to be too tame! It's definitely melodic; some of it rocks, but some is really soft too. I'm doing a tune that Jerry Dixon from WARRANT submitted, which was kind of cool and some music from some other people. So, I just have to get used to it, do you know what I mean?" She added: "It's out of my comfort zone a little bit. Some of the songs are right there and I'm like, 'This will be fun!' Others are, I'm not going to lie to you, I'm like 'I don't know!' but then as the songs develop, I'm, like, 'Okay, I can see where this is going.' Jeff actually played bass on about four tracks, which was very cool of him to do. We have other musicians and stuff, but it's still pretty much me, Pete, and Rick [BENEDICTUM and ex-JAG PANZER drummer Rikard Stjernquist] for the most part, so we'll see how it goes."

Classic Rock reports Ancient VVisdom who were a nominee in the Best New Band category at the 2012 Classic Rock Roll Of Honour – have unveiled a video for their Black Sabbath-influenced song "Never Live Again"

Noisecreep reports Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson and wife take legal action against each other